Railroad-crossing signal



P. KOCHENBERGER. RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL. I APPLICATION FILED APR- 21. I919.

Patented Oct. 28-, 1919.

PAUL KoorrnN EneEn, or AVON, PENNSYLVANIA.

n rrnoAn-oRossINe SIGNAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 28, 1919.

Application filed April 21, 1919. SerialNo. 291,551.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL KooHnNBnRcER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Avon, in the county of Lebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Crossing Signals, of which the following is a specification.

member, and to indicate to the traffic, crossing the railway, the approachof a train.

The invention consists of a lever, one end of which is actuated by the electro-magnet, and the other end of which is attached to a shaft on which is mounted a set of signal disks, capable of being moved by the rotation of the shaft, and a set of danger signals or disks, which will be exposed when such actuation takes place.

The invention is more fully described in the following specification and clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my device, with the cover of the container removed.

. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View taken through line XX of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the line Y-Y of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4: shows a portion of the container, with the danger signal exposed.

The numeral 1 designates a suitable container, in the form of a rectangular box, having a cover 2.

In this box is located a pedestal 3, having a jaw 4 at its upper extremity, and in this jaw is pivotally mounted a lever 5, formed with a T-head at one end, adapted to be drawn toward and contact with, an electromagnetic device 7 which device may be energlzed in any well known manner.

The opposite end of the lever is bifurcated, see numeral 8, and between the open members 8 is located the one end of a right angled pin 9, which pin is attached to a shaft 10, mounted in the vertical walls of the box.

This shaft has two disk members 11, one near each end, attached to it and adapted to move with the shaft when the shaft is rotated. On the shaft, immediately behind each of these disks 11, is located a second disk 12, but these latter disks are loosely mounted on the shaft and their weight will tend to keep them normally in depending position.

In the walls of the box, immediately in front of the disks, are openings 14, through which the disks may be seen.

The operation of the device is as follows Normally, all of the disks hang in vertical, depending position, on the shaft 10. When the electro-magnet 7 is energized, the T-head 0f the lever 5 will be drawn up against the magnet, and this movement will, through the engagement of the opposite end of the lever with the pin 9, turn the shaft 10 in its bearings, and this rotary movement of the shaft will carry with it the two outer dis-ks 11, until they assume approximately the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2, thus exposing the red or danger signal disks 12, immediately behind them. These red disks will remain exposed as long as the electromagnet remains energized, and when it ceases to act, the disks 11 will fall to normal position, covering the red disks and showing a safe signal.

On the shaft 10, as a counterbalance to the weight of the two disks, I place a weight 16, which weight will aid in throwing the disks 11, thus reducing the work required by the electro-magnet to the minimum.

Any suitable means may be provided to secure the disks 11 to the shaft, as for instance set screws, and the weight 16 may be made adjustable, as shown, by providing a set screw through which it may be secured at any point on its rod.

A light, 19 may be placed within the box so that the signal may be seen at night.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a device of the character described, a box having a cover, a vertical pedestal within the box, a lever pivotally mounted in the upper end of the pedestal, said lever having a T-head at one end, an electro-magnetic device adapted to actuate said lever at one end, the other end of the lever being bifurcated, a pin having relatively loose engage ment with the bifurcated end of the lever, a shaft to which the pin is securely attached, a pair of signal disks secured to the shaft and adapted to be moved out of vertical alinement when the shaft is rotated, a second pair of disks loosely mounted On the shaft 10 behind the first named disks, and openings in the Walls of the box through which said disks are exposed.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

PAUL KOCHENBERGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. i 

